Tag Archives: canada

32% of respondents say that influence of Hinduism “in Canada and Canadian public life” is growing as compared to 7% who say that it is shrinking; according to a national study “Faith and Religion in Public Life” by Angus Reid Institute and Faith in Canada 150 posted on November 16.

13% of Canadians find Hinduism benefiting while 13% find Hinduism damaging. Higher percentage of income group $100K+ find Hinduism benefiting as compared to other income groups, while higher percentage of Univ+ education group find it benefiting as compared to other education levels, the study points out.

Nearly half of Canadians (48%) see religion as contributing “a mix of good and bad” to Canada today. 42% Canadians welcome “municipal government beginning with a non-denominational prayer to god”. 53% of Canadians say that Canada “does too much to accommodate” different faith practices and religious minorities, the study indicates.

Meanwhile, Hindu advocate Rajan Zed, commending the Hindu community for their contributions to the society and the nation in Canada; urged them to continue with the traditional values of hard work, higher morals, stress on education, sanctity of marriage; amidst so many distractions.

Rajan Zed – Wikipedia

Rajan Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, advised Hindus to focus on inner search, stay pure, explore the vast wisdom of scriptures, make spirituality more attractive to youth and children, stay away from the greed, and always keep God in the life.

Hinduism is oldest and third largest religion of the world with about 1.1 billion adherents and moksh (liberation) is its ultimate goal.

The Angus Reid Institute, headquartered in Vancouver (British Columbia), is Canada’s “national, not-for-profit, non-partisan public opinion research foundation” “committed to independent research”. Dr. Angus Reid and Shachi Kurl are Chairman and Executive Director respectively. Faith in Canada 150, headquartered in Hamilton (Ontario), is powered by Cardus—“a think tank dedicated to the renewal of North American social architecture”. Greg Pennoyer is the Program Director.

Reading this tweeted article, something struck me as not quite right. First of all, the ancient world wasn’t just about Jews and Christians; and sexism and sexual crime was rampant in almost all early cultures.

That makes sexism the root cause. A lot of the Bible reflects and reinforces ancient cultural biases, as do most other holy books.

Why would sexism be widespread in the ancient world? Well, we don’t have to tax our brains to come up with a plausible explanation…

Physical size.

Physical size has become far less important in the 21st century, so naturally things are changing for the better.

In Canada I am happy to boast that we are decades ahead of most of the world in terms of multiculturalism. In Toronto, where I live, Christianity remains the majority religion, but it’s only at 56.7%. And 49% of all Toronto residents are foreign-born.

So obviously other countries look a bit backward to progressive Canadians when it comes to living peacefully with different folks from around the world. “Progress” doesn’t only mean who gets the latest gadgets or finest threads at the lowest price.

But I digress. The point is this:

Rape and sexual assault still occur in most global cultures. It’s not entirely about religion or the holy books. Instead, a brutish mentality is to blame. Thankfully, time and right education will erase that lingering brute.

Forty-nine percent of Canadians had a favorable opinion of Hinduism in February 2017 as compared to 42% in September 2013, according to Religious Trends public opinion poll conducted by research organization Angus Reid Institute (ARI) and released on April four.

Quebecers having favorable opinion of Hinduism increased to 50% in 2017, as compared to 32% in 2009; while in rest-of-Canada, it increased from 45% in 2009 to 48% in 2017; poll indicated.

When asked—would it be acceptable or unacceptable to you if one of your children were to marry a Hindu—in February 2017, 54% Canadians said that it would be acceptable, as compared to 37% in September 2013; poll pointed out.

Fifty-seven percent of Canadian Liberal Party members and 54% Millennials (18-34) viewed Hinduism favorably, as compared to 49% of all Canadians; poll added.

Meanwhile Rajan Zed, congratulating the Canadian Hindu community on climbing higher on the favorable opinion scale, urged them to continue with the traditional values of hard work, higher morals, stress on education, sanctity of marriage, etc., amidst so many distractions.

Rajan Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, advised Hindus to focus on inner search, stay pure, explore the vast wisdom of scriptures, make spirituality more attractive to youth and children, stay away from the greed, and always keep God in the life.

Hinduism, oldest and third largest religion of the world, has about one billion adherents, and moksh (liberation) is its ultimate goal.

ARI, headquartered in Vancouver (Canada), “is a national, not-for-profit, non-partisan public opinion research organization established to advance education”. Dr. Angus Reid is the Chairman, while Shachi Kurl is Executive Director.

Okay look. America is a great country, we all know that. The nation has an impressive store of achievements. It dominates many aspects of global culture. And Anderson Cooper is the best newsperson, anywhere. Supergirl is pretty amazing too. 😉

But I have to laugh when I hear those long-winded speeches about how America is the greatest country on Earth. Put simply, Canada is decades ahead in terms of cultural integration. Some Americans might cringe at that notion. In fact, some visitors from the US have. When faced with the multicultural reality of downtown Toronto, some of our sheltered US acquaintances have been visibly rattled.

My family had Chinese/Australian neighbors in the 1960s and 70s. Best neighbors we could have hoped for. Friendly, fun to hang out with. But they also minded their own business. So as a kid I got a good introduction to living with people who look different and who hold beliefs distinct from our own (there was a big seated Buddha in their front hall, which I found intriguing). In fact, we didn’t even think about it. We just had a good time playing ball hockey, basketball, ping pong, badminton, you name it.

And driving to the nearest mall, back then called Thorncliffe, we were introduced to a wide range of peoples. Even in the 1970s.

So the next time I hear that America is “the greatest place on Earth,” I’ll chuckle again. And hope that next year, less Muslim youth feel compelled to call Toronto for the help they’re not getting from their fellow Americans.

I’ll be honest. As the US election race proceeded I grew into a position of wanting Clinton to lose. I was so tired of hearing her politically correct talk and the double standard that went with that. Up in Canada, where I am, that’s a rare position. Last night the news said that something like 3% of us are Trump supporters.

I don’t know if I’d call myself a Trump “supporter.” It’s too early to see how his changes will affect my country and people. But I do feel that an Obama/Clinton legacy would have been like continuing in a bad relationship just because one fears the possibility of change. That leads to stagnation and inauthenticity.

The world is still turning this morning. Katy Perry doesn’t have to walk around naked anymore. Not that I mind that. And all the other entertainment celebs can go back to their mansions, not having to worry about paying their monthly bills.

They can look forward to their next world tour, which, incidentally, burns up oodles of jet fuel… carbon based jet fuel. Why, some of them can fly to Europe just to party in a European castle again. Who knows. They’ve done it before.

Sure, the business markets are down a bit. Our dollar is down a bit. But this is nothing like Brexit. Hopefully, this change can stimulate positive changes for everyone.

Congratulations to the winners. Oh and by the way, did you notice that Trump’s campaign manager was a woman?

US President Obama is a great speaker and mythmaker but I think a little mention of Canada’s role in the emancipation of black people would have been appropriate today at the Smithsonian. Obama and many Americans love to paint this myth that the USA is unique and “the greatest.” Some Americans say this so many times that sometimes I wonder if they’re trying to convince themselves. I mean, if you are really secure about something you don’t have to continually brag, do you?

Aside from that, it was a great speech today. I think Obama would have made a superlative first President of the World. But we’re not there yet. And with American exclusivism, it clearly will take some kind of shakeup before most Americans come on board with that idea. I suppose the same could be said for Canadians and for people of many other countries. Each for our own reasons, we remain an assortment of separate states, provinces, territories and jurisdictions.

A quick look at history, however, tells a different story. For the most part, countries are becoming larger, geographically speaking. Is it only a matter of time before we have a centralized government for Planet Earth? I think so. But as I said, we’re not quite there yet.

Flickr Photos

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Tensions on the Korean Peninsula are the world's most dangerous security issue, and must be resolved fast and diplomatically to avoid war, a top United Nations envoy said after a rare visit to North Korea.

Taken today at one of the more economically disadvantaged parishes in Toronto (area-wise). Seems these amazing people are doing the most for kids this Xmas. And isn’t that usually the way? Those with a lot grasp on to it and … Continue reading →

I’ve been banging away at my computer, getting Win 7 reinstalled after experiencing some wifi dropouts with Win 10. Such is life. After a few-nail biting moments, I managed to get everything running right again. So I’m celebrating (before bed!) … Continue reading →

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